Healing Hands
by Go Away Not Today Disco Shadun
Summary: PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! Read and review my story I'm desperate here! Freelance healer wanders around in search of adventure. It's got Raoul in it
1. Beginnings

Chapter 1  
  
Merella ducked down low to the injured sparrow and looked it over.  
  
'Poor little thing.' She whispered looking at it's mangled wing and foot.  
  
She fumbled with her belt pouch and brought out her pestle and mortar and an assortment of herbs. The bird chirped painfully as Merella made a sleeping paste. She put a little on her finger and fed it to the bird. Slowly the bird drifted into an eternal sleep. She carefully buried its stiff body and spoke a prayer. She gathered her mortar and pestle and closed her belt pouch.  
  
Merella was a healer preferring to use more herbal remedies opposed to her Gift. She had deep blue eyes and short, wavy brown hair. She was looking for some special herbs for a healing potion when she heard shouts and screams. She hitched up her skirt and untied her quarterstaff from her pack. She ran to where the screams had come from and saw an outlying village being ransacked by raiders. She ran as fast as she could towards the village running through plants and dodging trees. She came to a steep hill, which led down to the village. The raiders had already started to torch the houses; she would have to slide down the hill.  
  
She carefully dug her quarterstaff into the hill and used it to help her down but near the end of the hill she lost her footing and went head first down the hill ending up at the bottom. Luckily she wasn't too hurt and got to her feet. The raiders had left their horses nearby the village. She ran over to them and started to untie them. What she didn't see was that they had left a huge, burly man to guard the horses.  
  
'Stop what yer doing and I won't hurt yer much, lassie.' He grunted.  
  
Merella spun around and forced her quarterstaff upwards into the man's nose, forcing it into his skull, breaking it. Red blood came oozing out of his nose and he went red with anger. With one hand he held his swollen, bleeding nose with the other he started swinging a huge mace at her head. She decided it was best to run into the village and lose him in the confusion of the villagers and raiders.  
  
She started to sprint away as fast as she could. She chanced a look backwards the huge man had mounted a horse and got out a long spear. She choked backed a cry and kept on running towards the chaotic village. She heard thundering hooves behind her but she kept on running, she finally ran into the village and ran into the inside of a house. She drew her quarterstaff and got ready to defend herself, strangely he didn't follow her in and then she realised why; they were torching the house!  
  
Merella couldn't escape outside and couldn't stay inside. Suddenly the roof caved in sending burning embers everywhere setting everything alight she was backed into the corner of the room the flames almost licking her face. She felt like she was being cooked, the heat was unbearable. Then she noticed a small child at the opposite end of the room curled up in a little ball crying loudly. She would have to get across there and try to get that girl out. She used her very weak Gift to stem the tongues of flames enough for her to get through to the little girl. She picked up the little girl in one hand and held her quarterstaff in the other and attempted to make her way to the door. The door was only a few metres away surrounded by a wall of flame. By now she could hardly breathe but managed to edge closer to the door her legs screaming for coolness and tears streaming down her blackened face. Above the roar of the flames she could make out voices and horses hooves.  
  
'HELP!' She screamed with all her strength, 'HELP!' All of a sudden a huge jet of crystal blue water doused the flames and allowed Merella to get out of the burning building. She breathed in gulps of pure, fresh air and placed the little girl down on the charred grass.  
  
'Are you okay?' A voice came from behind her.  
  
'I'm fine but I'm not sure about the girl.' She answered turning around, her eyes met with a 6ft tall knight with black hair and dark eyes.  
  
'Was that your house?' he questioned.  
  
'No, I was just passing the village.'  
  
'What about the girl?'  
  
'I don't know she was just in there. Her mother must be around somewhere.' She sat down exhausted and looked around at the village. There was nothing left but burning remains and dead bodies. She gulped back a sob. She had never seen so much carnage in all her life.  
  
'My name is Raoul of Goldenlake, and you are?'  
  
'Merella' she said. He offered her a hand and he pulled her to her feet. 'Thank you for everything, but I really must be going.' Raoul nodded and walked off to check for survivors. She liked him immensely and felt all strange inside but she had more important things to do, she gathered up her quarterstaff and her pack, had a quick drink of water, cleaned her face and set off northwards towards Corus. 


	2. A Gift from the Goddess

Disclaimer- Sorry forgot to put one on the last chapter; I own none of the characters/places created by Tamora Pierce.  
  
Chapter 2 - A Gift from the Goddess  
  
Merella trod carefully through the undergrowth of the forest floor until she reached the path to Corus. She was running dangerously low on money and needed a job-any job would do. She walked down the dusty path until sunset, and then she found a small clearing and got out her bedroll from her bag. She laid it on the ground and went straight to sleep.  
  
She woke up abruptly in the middle of the night. She looked bleary around her and tried to go back to sleep, but no matter how hard she tried she just couldn't get her eyes to close and stay closed. She rolled up her bedroll and ate some spiced bread and water from her canteen. All the trees and bushes were shrouded in darkness and Merella used her Gift to light a small fire. She stared into the dancing flames and was entranced, suddenly she felt like everyone was calling for her help at the same time but she couldn't block out their screaming voices. She felt as if days, weeks and months passed within seconds. Then the fire in her head stopped and she was back in the clearing, staring at glowing embers. She shook her head and rubbed her sore eyes. What was the matter with her?  
  
She glanced at the beautiful light blue sky and wispy clouds. She heard running water and took a well-needed bath in a small river with a gentle current. She was just getting her breeches on as her head began to spin and she was on a cliff's edge her hands glowing white and the sea breeze making her eyes run. She heard voices behind her and turned around. Then the vision was gone and Merella was sprawled out on the grass. She sat up and vomited. She shakily stood up and fell over again. She couldn't focus on anything, even standing up so just lay there tears falling down her face.  
  
She opened her eyes to white light all around her and a silhouette of a tall women kneeling down to her. The woman picked up her hands and held them together with hers. Merella tried to speak but the woman shook her head and said something, which made her fall into a dreamless sleep. Merella sat bolt upright and saw it was dusk. The last couple of days had been one big blur. She remembered strange visions and a tall woman bathed in white light. She must be losing her mind she thought as she got to her feet. Then she felt the strangest sensation in her hands. They were faintly glowing white and her sore, gnawed fingernails had changed into beautiful long pale pink ones. She gasped and ran back to the clearing where her stuff was stashed and saw the same woman as before kneeling by a fire and smiling up to her.  
  
'Sit down, my daughter' her voice was like a choir of angels. Merella had to obey and sat opposite the woman. 'As you can probably tell you have changed.' Merella nodded not ready to speak. 'It is my gift to you, my daughter to help you on your journeys.'  
  
'Why me?' she whispered.  
  
The woman smiled, 'your life is a very colourful thread in this tapestry of life and I want to help you as much as I can.' 'But why?'  
  
'Your entire life has been a struggle, my daughter, and it's not going to get better any time soon.'  
  
'What do you mean?'  
  
'I cannot say, that is for you to find out.'  
  
'What gift have you given to me?'  
  
'To heal the wounded, cure the diseased, to return life to those that have none.'  
  
Merella didn't react for a moment. She had just been given the greatest gift a healer could ever want. A smile greeted her face as she realised what the Goddess had given her.  
  
'To heal,' she glanced down at the soft white aura around her hands, 'with my hands?'  
  
The Goddess nodded and smiled and started to walk away. 'Good luck my daughter.'  
  
'Thank you' Merella whispered.  
  
In the morning Merella got up and checked that the last night hadn't been a dream. She checked over her beautiful new hands and decided it would be best to put on gloves to hide her secret for now. She gathered her things and used her quarterstaff as a waking stick and headed back towards the road.  
  
She made good time to Corus and got their mid-morning the next day. The air was full of a cacophony of market sellers and people everywhere bustling about their business. She felt very out of place and felt very lonely but she snapped out of it and plucked up enough courage to ask for directions for the nearest Healers. After a couple of wrong turns she found the small Healer's in one of the back streets. She went through the wooden door and was hit by the smell of herbs and dried blood. She saw that there was a small counter and behind it a door leading to a back room. Eventually a tall man came in and smiled at her with pearly white teeth. He had short black hair and green, grey eyes and a calm, clear voice. ' Hello, what can I do for you?'  
  
'I was hoping you would be in need of a good healer?'  
  
The man smiled again his eyes sparkling, 'Yes as a matter as fact we are. What can you do exactly?'  
  
'Well, I can heal things with-um, this may sound stupid- with my hands.'  
  
The man's face was motionless. 'Show me.' She cautiously took off her gloves and showed the man her glowing white hands. 'By the Goddess you're not lying,' he said astounded but then he straightened up 'What else do you know?' 'I know many herbal recipes and I have a very small knack for the Gift.' Merella smiled.  
  
'My name is Arias Nightmoon, owner of this humble healer's and you are?'  
  
'I'm Merella, just Merella'  
  
'Well, Merella, you're hired and you can prove your healing skills by going out to the city and dealing with a house call of mine.' He scribbled an address on a piece of paper.  
  
'What about payment?' she asked.  
  
'I pay you on how well you heal and on how fast you do it.' Merella stood there and missed a beat. Arias said more clearly 'HOW FAST YOU DO IT' She rushed out the shop and went in search of the house. 


	3. Cheated Death

Chapter 3 - Cheated Death  
  
Merella finally found the place after a good hour of searching she found the house. She gently knocked on the small wooden door. An old man answered the door. 'Are you the healer, Arias sent?'  
  
'Yes, I am Merella, a new healer hired by Arias.'  
  
'Well you're too late.' He sniffed.  
  
'Too late for what?'  
  
'She's dead. My only daughter is dead because you showed up too late!' He screamed he was about to slam the door when she stopped him.  
  
'Let me have a look at her.'  
  
'What?!?'  
  
'I might be able to do something for her.'  
  
'No, you ain't using no magic to bring her back to life- it's unnatural.'  
  
'No, I promise no magic.'  
  
The man grunted and showed her in. She saw the daughter's body with a women sobbing by her side. 'Who is she?' Rasped the women between sobs.  
  
'She says she can 'help our daughter''  
  
'But she is dead!' The man shrugged his shoulders and helped the woman up.  
  
'Come on pet, I trust this woman.' He led her out of the room and Merella nodded in appreciation. The dead girl was in her twenties; she had long brown hair and quite a tanned complexion but Merella could not see the colour of her eyes because they were rolled back. Merella carefully took off her gloves and checked her hands they were still glowing an eerie white. She placed them on the girl's chest and willed her live, willed her to breathe but nothing happened she tried harder focusing all her energy on the girl, giving her a part of her own essence. Pain shot up her arms but she continued, blackness started eating away at her vision so she closed her eyes tight. Tongues of white flame came out of her hands to engulf the girl, the force of the flames pushed Merella backwards forcing her to open her eyes. The white flames died down and the girl didn't move, Merella staggered over to her and the girl's eyes flew open.  
  
'Where am I?' she whispered.  
  
'You were dead but now you are living again.'  
  
'You used magic?'  
  
'No, I used my hands to resurrect you.'  
  
The girl stared into space then her face lit up. 'Thank you, thank you so much. Mama, Papa come quickly!'  
  
The man and women burst into the room both sobbing helplessly with happiness and embraced the smiling girl. For the first time in Merella's life she felt like she had made a difference, she had brought happiness into these people's lives. She didn't even want to be paid for it. But the family insisted and dumped a pile of nobles into Merella's hands.  
  
'No really, I can't accept payment. I was the one who was late.' She said handing them back the money.  
  
'You are a kind one. I will spread the word about the miracle today, so everyone will know how brilliant you are.um what's your name again?' Said the old man.  
  
'Merella, I did say.'  
  
'Well thank you Merella.' The old woman said and shook Merella's hand vigorously.  
  
Merella waved and walked away. She took her time getting back to Arias. She wasn't in a hurry to undoubtedly get fired for not making any money. When she did get back Arias had a scowl on his face.  
  
'Where have you been? You should have been back hours ago.'  
  
'It took some time finding the place, Arias, remember I am new to Corus.'  
  
Arias shook his head, 'Where is the money you earned?'  
  
'They offered to pay but I didn't want to accept.' She said folding her arms.  
  
'I'm sorry Merella but you're 'goody-goody' antics aren't what I'm looking for in a healer no matter how good you may be, I need money and need it fast. I'm sorry.' His face softened for a moment then went back to a scowl. 'Please leave.'  
  
Merella bit the inside of her cheek and left. Now she was really angry. How dare he fire her! She was the best healer he was ever going to get! She was only doing something nice! She walked off anger swelling up inside of her. It was just after sunset and Merella was still walking aimlessly around, still furious with Arias when she heard fighting from behind her. Two men with daggers were in the middle of a personal little fight, hurling insults at each other.  
  
'I'll 'ave your guts for garters, you filthy cur!' the smaller one sneered.  
  
'Talking about garters you mother left them in my bed last night.' Merella winced, they were now onto insulting mothers; things were going to get ugly. She quickly started to walk into the opposite direction when both of them barged into her knocking her over. They didn't even notice her because they were too engrossed in their little fight. Merella pushed herself backwards up against a wall and got up. They were both dangerously close to her their daggers swiping everywhere, some swipes were inches away from her nose. Then she felt a blinding pain in her leg she fell to the floor as the two fighters continued their brawl. She chanced a look down to her leg there was a deep gash in her thigh which was bleeding heavily, tears were running down her face with the pain, she took off her gloves and placed her hands on the gash. The pain eased and the broken skin was healed within a minute and the fight had died down and the men had gone their separate ways. She sighed with relief and she suddenly felt so sleepy. 'I'll just rest my eyes for a minute.' And she fell asleep where she was sitting.  
  
She was standing on the cliff's edge again staring out into the crystal blue sea and the aurora of the sunset. A man's voice spoke to her from behind. She turned round to see a man in a suit of armour talking to her. She tried to walk over to him but seemed rooted to the spot, she tried to speak but her mouth wasn't working. He then sighed and walked away.  
  
Then for no reason at all she was back in the burning building holding the girl except there was no way out and the smoke was clogging the air making it difficult to breathe, covering her eyes; smothering her, painfully and slowly killing her.  
  
'You shouldn't sleep on the streets, its very dangerous.' Said a woman's voice, she felt something nudge her. She blearily opened her bloodshot eyes and looked up at the woman.  
  
'I had nowhere else to sleep. I haven't got any money.'  
  
The woman walked off not caring. It was early afternoon and Merella had just woken up, but she felt no better. 'That's it,' she thought 'I'm never going to sleep.' For some reason these dreams were too real, in fact they scared her quite a lot. She didn't want to get up. She wanted to stay sitting where she was forever. She had no willpower any more she was just too tired to do anything. She felt her eyelids dropping, and struggled to keep awake.  
  
Somehow she got to her feet and walked into the main street with all the stalls. She felt like people were smothering her. The feeling passed and she continued to walk out of Corus when some cutpurse tried to steal her bag. She held onto it with all her strength and suddenly a huge blast of pearly white flames exploded from her gloved hands engulfed the whole of the main market street. Everyone fell to their feet. Merella was the only one standing and she was still holding onto her bag. She checked the people they were all asleep.  
  
She chewed her lip, 'Whoops.' And made her way past the sleeping bodies out of town. She looked back at the horde of sleeping people and saw a group of men coming her way. She started to run down the road, she didn't know where to exactly, but nevertheless she ran. She heard the distant shouts and the muffled thunder of horse hooves.  
  
She ran out of breath quickly and started to jog. The thudding of hooves were getting closer she sobbed a little. Why horses? She hated horses ever since.no she wouldn't bring that back up. They were right behind her and they were going to catch her any second. Or even worse any second now she would fell the sharp pain of a sword piercing her shoulder. What was she going to do? 


End file.
